Switch safety appliance



April 13 1926,

P. STOLLE ET AL SWITCH SAFETY APPLIANCE Filed Nov. 27, 1925' 2 Sheets-Shegt-l Peier sz'ozze gmmm L A Manlei'y Mung;

Patented Apr. 13, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT- ospre -5.

rerun STOLLE'ANDLENN A. MANLEY, or MONETT, mrs sounif SWITCH SAFETY APPLIANCE.

Application filed November 27, 1925. Serial No. 71,685.

to provide, in aswitch safety appliance, a

construction which, should the switch stand encounterwany difficulty either with the connecting or head rods 01' the stand be destroyed, would prevent the switch point from shifting away from the rail of the v mainline.

Another purpose is to PIOVHlG, m a switch safety appliance, a positive lock for the switch pointonly when the switch point is in contact with the rail of the main line.

Still another purpose isto provide,in an appliance of tl11S-ChL13,GteI, a gravity returned locking element which, just so soon as the switch point leaves the rails of the siding and is in contact with the rail of the main line, will automatically drop into locking engagement with a movingmeniberconnected to'the switch point for holding the.

member in-a locked positionas well as the switch point."

*It is a further aim to provide an appliance which is very'simple in construction and can be applied very easily and in a relatlvely short while. a

' a A further purpose is to provide an appliance of this character which is foot-operable against the gravity means on the locking element so that,'when the lever on the switch stand is actuated, the switch point may be movedto a position adjacent the rail ofthe sidin i 7 A'gtill furtherpurpos'e is toprovide an appliance whichcan be used in connection with a pushinglactuator as well as a pulling actuator turn actuates a Furthermore, it is the purpose toprovide an appliancelwhich can'be manufactured at a relatively low cost and sold and installed at a. reasonable profit, as the supporting plate and the fittings can be made of cast steel, itonly being necessary to use wrought,

metal in the actuator or bar.

It is to be understood that the particulars herein given are in no way limitative and than-while still keeping within the-scope of element. V 1, p 7 7 Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the invention, any desired modification of details and desired proportionsma y beimade Figure 1 is a view in perspective ofa portion of a track with a switch point and illus trating the improved safety appliance a plied.

Figure. 2 is a plan view.

Figure 3 is a sectionalview transversely through the rails and thez'switch pointand shown in the drawings and showing thelocking element in engagement with the actuator or bar which isconnected to the switch point. 7

Flgure 4 is a sectional view through the safety appliance at right angles to that shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detailperspective view of the plate which is mounted upon the tie, whereby practically all the parts of the safety appliance aresubstantially flush'with the surfacefof the tie.

Figure 6 is a-detail view ofthe locking the-switch pointwhichcooperates with one of the rails of thelmain line and. isadapted for the purpose of causing a train tosh'ift onto a siding when the switch point is moved for such a purpose, and. 2 denotes-the safety appliance as a whole which comprises a plate 3 which is supported on a tie 4, being secured thereon by spikes 5 passing through rectangular openings '6 which are formed in the late. 1

verse plates 9 and 10. The standing ends 11 and 12 which have openings'. -The plate 10 at its opposite ends has trunnions 14 and 15, and-fulcrumed upon the" trunnion 14: is a locking element or lever 16 which is capable of corresponding mountingon the trunnion; 15. For instance, if the sa ety appliance is to be applied to a switch wherein the switch point is pushed instead of pulled, the locking element may be fulcrumed upon the trunnion 15, and the plate may thenbe placed so that the locking element mayproperly cooperate with the actuator which is connected to the switch point. Forthe purpose of holding the lock Rlveted at 7 and 8 to the plate 3 are transplate 9 has up- Ill) nection with a pulling switch, the locking eleme'ntcooperate's with the openingin the upstanding end 11, and if it is applied to a pushing switch, it cooperates with the opening in the upstandingend 12. In either case, the shack-1e of a padlock 22 engages with the registering openings in the upstanding end and the locking-element to hold the. latter in its normal position forlocking the pushing or pulling actuator in normal pos tion; whereby theswi tch; point is held in close c'z'ontacting position with the rail main line: V

The plate 3 of the appliance may be any size andsha'pe and constructed ofany suitable metal',and isformed with a guide channel 23. This channel is constructed atthe time theplate is-"c'ast. For, instance, the plate has a depending part wh ch againstaside face of ati'e andf 'nwhich the channelor guidei's formed at the tim the plate is cast. This channel slidably receives either a pulling or pushing member or" bar.

25, with one edge p 'aboye' the surface of the plate 3: to enable the locking elementto engag'e -.in' a in1otch 26 formed in the bar 25. Y l

The bar is-connected at 27' to 'the swltch point and extends laterally therefrom and underthe rail of the main line (but not connected toit) and is of sufficient lengtlr" to engage in the channel-or guide" 23.- The notch is formed in the bar at such a 'locatlon that when the switch oint is in ccntact-..

with the rail of the main line, thelocking el'ementwillengagew'ith the notch, but when the switch point is moved outof contact with the rail of the main linefor' the purpose of shifting theytrain to: the siding, it isimpossibleto engagethe locking element: wit the notch, 1

By virtueofa safetyappliance: of thischaracter, itavoids the V necessity of locking v the leveron theswitch stand and at the-same time constitutes a morepositive lock with greater safetydue to the" fact that should the switch stand become damaged inany manner, theswitchpoint remains in contact with the-=rail of the mainline as long-as the padlock is in eng agemeinlwith the register -ling openings upstanding end and locking;

element.

of the lies protruding suiiicien tly' of the main line'so that, regardless oil" whether or not the heel of the switchpoint is properly maintained, this appliance willhold the switch point securely against the rails of the main line. I 7 When a padlock is engaged with the regis" tering openings upstanding end locking element, the switch is fool-proof and locked justthe same as if the lockwas placed on a switch stand. Practicallyall the parts-of the safety appliance are substantially flush with thetie, thereby preventing anything that might be dragging along the track. either between the rails or on the side of therails, fromge-ttin-g caught in any of the parts. i

The bar 25, where'it connects with the switch point, has an. angula'rly bent end-28 conforming. to the base of the switch point.

The bar, in extendingfrom the switch point, i

is disposed flatwise,: but at a point midway its ends it isprovided with a twist/29,- so thatthe portionof thebarbeyondthe rails wil lpositioned vertically. j v 7 The inventio'n having been set-forth; what isclairndis: l @w,

- '1. In a safety appliance-forswitches, the

combination with a switch point -and an ac-" tuatin-g. bar therefor of which the latter is providedwith anotch, of'& plate forseenrement to the top faceofa t1e and provided with a depending guide channel in which said bar slides, a locking element fulcrumed onthe plate andoverhanging the-bar forenga-gement with a notch formed therein, the

locking element being provided with a terminal weight, and with an openingregister able with an opening-formed inan upstand ing element carried b the plate for-there ception-of a: locking s ackle when the looking element engaged-in the notchotqsaid 2L" Ina combination with a switch pointiand a'movable bar connected to it, the bar having a notch of aplate for secur'ement to a; tie of a track and provided with aiguide for said bar; agravity actuated locking element ful crumediupon the plate for'act'uation toward and engagement with the "notch for retaining the switch pointin con-tactrwith a-rail of a main li'ne, an auxiliary plate on: the first safety appliance for switches, the

plate and having an upstainding apertured end, the 'lo cking. element having 'anxop'ening registering with the aperture in the upstandnotch, of a plate for secureinent to a tie of a.

track and provided with a guide for said bar, a gravlty actuated locking element fulcrumed upon the plate for actuation toward and engagement with the notch for retalning the switch point in contact with a rail of a main line, an auxiliary plate on the first plate and having an upstanding apertured end, the locking element having an opening registering with the aperture in the upstanding end, and means for engaging the registering opening and aperture for locking the element in engagement with the notch, said element having a foot engaging plate on the end opposite its gravitating end, whereby the element may be actuated when release to disengage from the notch.

4. In a safety appliance for switches, the combination with a switch point and a mov able bar connected to it, said bar having a notch, of a plate for seourement to ties of,

the main line, a pair of auxiliary plates fastened on the first plate, one of said auxiliary plates having an upstanding apertured end, and a gravitating locking element fulcrumed upon the other auxiliary plate and having long and short arms, the longer arm.

being the gravitating end of the element for engagement with the notch to hold the switch point in contact with a railof a main line, the shorter arm having a foot engaging plate for tilting the element against the gravitating longer arm to disengage the element from the notch.

5. In a safety appliance for switches, the combination with a switch point and a movable bar connected to it, said bar having a notch, of a plate for securement to ties of the main line, a pair of auxiliary plates fastened on the first plate, one of said auxiliary plates having an upstanding apertured end, a gravitating locking element fulcrumed upon the other auxiliary plate and having long and short arms, the longer arm being the gravitating end of the element for engagement with the notch to hold the switch point in contact with a rail of a main line, the shorter arm having a foot engaging plate for tilting the element against the gravitating longer arm to disengage the element from the notch, said element having an opening registering with the aperture of the upstand- 7 ing end, and means for engaging with the registering openmg and aperture for lockmg the element when it is engaged with the notch, the first named plate having an elongated guide in which the bar slidably engages.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

PETER STOLLE. LENN A. MANLEY. 

